Grammar schools, any opinions/advice?

[chickaboo]

Evening, I am new to mumsnet and wondered if anyone has a daughter at the Tiffin in Richmond or any other grammar school in Surrey/Bucks? Do any of you know anything about the admissions policy to grammar schools? My other half went to grammar and is keen for our daughter to go too. Any info greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Bev1e, we were thinking of moving next year and moving between where we are now and the tiffin so our daughter could continue at current school but we would drive her there.

But if between when we move and when we need to apply tiffin decided to introduce a catchment area and we weren't in it it would mean another move(the catchment area is likely to be too far from current school and we don't want to move her until she goes into year 7)

What are the comps like in Kingston? anyone know?

New Malden sounds good, may take a drive out there in half term to suss it out a bit, I work 10 mins from waterloo and my husband can get a connecting train on that route to his work, too far from current school, although could maybe manage it for a few months, not sure though, she already moved in year 1 so can't do that to her again, also probaly wouldn't get a place at any of the primary schools. Theres never an easy solution. I've been here before, moving to get into catchment for primary school. I'm sure my parents never went to all this trouble for my schooling, but saying that (and I sound like my mum) the schools were better in those days!

Sorry forgot to say thanks Hallgerda for the links just having a look now

chickaboo, I would recommend going to some open days next year. Lots of other parents look at schools when their child is in Year 5; you will not be the only one. The first half-term of Year 6 is a mad scramble of school open days, decisions and form filling. I was exhausted by the process and I only looked at six schools.

I would also start working on converting your daughter to your point of view before Year 6. The boy sitting next to DS1 at a grammar school test said to him at the end, "I really messed that up, but I don't want to come here anyway". Not an ideal situation. I would look at the school websites for selling points that will make your daughter want to go to the schools you like. It doesn't matter if she wants to go to a particular school for the drama facilities and you want her to go to the same one for the academic results.

Good luck!

Chickaboo Don't want to sound negative BUT (sorry) Tiffin Girls is probably THE HARDEST Grammar school to get into in the U.K.

I'm waiting to see if my DD gets in (2 more weeks!). 1300 girls sat the test this year, for 120 places.

I'm not saying your DD is not up to it - only you can know that - but you definitely need to have a back-up plan.

Extremely close on Tiffin Girls heels, is Nonsuch High School for Girls in Cheam - 1400 girls sat test for a place in 2011 - for 180 places; again a very tough entrance exam.

I note that someone wrongly suggested Wallington High School to you as a good comprehensive, but this school is a Grammar too.

On the plus side there are some VERY GOOD comprehensives in the area too.

I have a DD at Nonsuch and it is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

Good Luck!

If you are also looking at Bucks & Surrey, you might want to consider Slough grammars - lots of children go there from West London, Windsor,etc.
Also probably not quite so competitive as Tiffin (got 2 kids in without tutoring, though we did do past papers at home).

errm, this thread is 5 years old...

Snorkie . I'm guessing yoursmartchild was a random advert post. I wonder what chickaboo did in the end? I think her dd would be in year 8 by now.....

yes, a spammer too, jackstarb. I wondered what had come of the OP too and Hallgerda and fauve who I remember of old [nostalgic emoticon]

Hi. Have to add Tiffin girls is a super selective school. You apply for it in the same way as other state secodaries + send a supplementary form. Waldegrave girls school in Twickenham is an excellent girls comp as a back up plan. They take a certain number of girls from richmond. The rest from the area surrounding the school. Richmond LEA would be able to give the exact catchment. the site: www.elevenplusexams.co.uk will give you loads of info. 2 or 3 kids each year get into Tiffin boys of girls from my sons primary. I think they have all been tutored.

LOL! I didn't realise it was 5 years old! Oops. . Think previous poster must have led me on....

It may be an old thread but still interesting. Do you think it's changed much? I'm really thinking ahead here as my DD is still very young but we live near to both Tiffin's and Coombe girls' schools.

Come to Hampshire.
We don't have grammars and most of our schools are better than many of the schools in London.

I would recommend buying practice papers from WH Smiths or similar and trying a few of them to get her used to the idea of the questions and go through them with her. I went to a grammar school and this is all my parents did with me, without having any other tutoring. I'd say my school was about 50/50 in those who had been tutored/been to prep school against those with no official tutoring.

I'm not saying what I mean very well but basically, I wouldn't worry too much about the whole "they need to be tutored from the start of junior school" talk and let it worry you. Tutoring probably will be beneficial and if you and your dd want to do it, and you can afford it and have time before the test, great, but if not, have a look at the practice papers with her and she should still have a fair shot.

GORGEOUSX- best of luck to your DD too!

Hellgerda cant seem to open your links re books and other help for 11+. Would you mind writing for me.